Wagon-brake.



No. 724,051 PATENTED MARV31, 1903.

W. N. SEGORD.

WAGON BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFIcE.

WILLIAM N. SECQRD, OF UNIONVILLE, MISSOURI.

WAGON-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,057, dated March31, 1903. Application filed October 21, 1902. Serial No. 128,174. (Nomodel-l T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM N. Snoonn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Unionville, in the county of Putnam and State of Missouri,have invented a new and useful Wagon-Brake, of which the following is aspecification.

- This invention relates to vehicle-brakes, and has for its objects toproduce a device of this character which will be simple of construction,inexpensive to manufacture, efficient in operation, which may bereadilyapplied and operated to automatically set and hold the brake in positionto be quickly released, and which may when not in use he brought to anunobstructing position at the side of the vehicle-body wholly'beneaththe top plane of the same. 1 I

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction, ashereinaftershown and described, and specified in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the brakeoperating mechanism, shown in its operativeposition in full lines and in its inoperative position in dotted lines.Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same.

My improved device, which is especially designed for use upon heavyfarm-wagons, but which may with slight modifications or changes bereadily adapted for use upon lighter vehicles, isin practice attached tothe side of a vehicle-body 10, as in Fig. 1, and is adapted for use inconnection with any suitable or desired form of brake mechanism.

In my improved construction as illustrated herein, 11 indicates abracket member attached to the body portion 10 relatively near its upperside, as indicated. The bracket member is formed open at one end andwith a stop 12 at its rear end, the stop having an inclined undersurface, as indicated. The open end of the bracket is provided with apivot-bolt 13, connecting the free end of the bracket with the body 10and forming the pivot of the operating lever 14:, the latter provided atone end with a hand-grip 15and with the other end 16 preferablyextending on the opposite side of the pivot at an angle to the mainportion of the lever. The two portions 14: 16 are connected by a brace17 to stiifen and support the lever, the brake-rod 25 leading from part16. The parts 14, 15, 16, and 17 are preferably formed from a singlepiece of steel, malleable iron, or other suitable material of sufficientstrength to withextended at one end to form a handle member '20,corresponding to the handle15 and spaced therefrom, while the oppositeend of :the lever 19 is curved downwardly and passes through the bracket11, with its upper edge adjacent to the rear stop 12, as'shown. Thebracket llis provided with a transverse intermediate stop, preferably inthe form of a bolt 22, passing through the bracket and thevehiclebody.10.

The floating lever 19 is provided along its under side with a plurality.

of spaced notches 23, straight upon one side and inclined upon theother, as shown, and adapted to engage the stop-bolt 22, and thus affordmeans for holding the operating-lever in any desired position to retainthebrakes set or in engagement with the vehicle. By

providing a plurality of the inclined notches 23 it will be obvious thatthe brakes may be applied at any required tension and locked in positionand the grip increased or decreased at the will of the operator. Whenthe brake is to be released, the two handle members 15 20 arecompressed, which action will throw the floating lever out of engagementwith the stop 22 and permit the operating-lever to fall by gravity intothe position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. ing lever when theoperating-lever assumes this position comes in contact with aferrule 24:upon the pivot-rod 13 between the operating-lever and the body 10, andthe rear downwardly-curving end of the floating lever abuts against therear stop 12, the three parts 12, 19, and 24 thus coacting'to supportthe operating-lever and prevent it from moving below a certainpredetermined position, or a position in substantial alinement with theupper. edge of the body 10 convenient to the hand of the operator. Bythis simple arrangement when the device is not in use theoperating-lever and other parts are supported below the upper line ofthe vehicle-body and offer no obstruction above its upper surface. Thisis a very important feature of the invention and adds materially to theefliciency and value of the device.

It will be noted that in this device no springs are employed, the lever19 being of the floating kind and operative entirely by gravity, andthis is also a very important feature of the invention and verymaterially decreases the expense of the construction, simplifies theoperation, and renders it less liable to become disarranged or otherwiseinoperative.

The whole device comprises only three parts, which may all be cast orforged and put together with very little machine-work, thus renderingthe device very inexpensive and easily assembled by persons notpreviously skilled.

The ferrule 24 will preferably be of rubber, leather, or similaryieldable material to receive the impact when the operating-lever fallsinto its inoperative position, and thus prevent the jarring of the partsand relieving them largely from strains.

The device may be located at any desired point on the vehicle, but willpreferably be located upon the right-hand side convenient to the hand ofthe driver.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a deviceof the class described, the combination with a bracket member, of anoperating-lever pivoted adjacent thereto with its lower end extendedbeneath the same, and having a brake-rod pivoted thereto, a floatinglever pivoted to the operating-lever at a point distant above thebracket member, said floating lever comprising a single piece of metalformed above the pivot into an operatinghandle and having its end belowthe pivot curved and provided on its inner edge with teeth, a stop-boltcarried by the bracket member in position to be engaged by the teeth onthe floating lever, said lever adapted, as a whole, to be swung downwardto an unobcombination with a bracket member, of an operating-leverpivoted thereto with its lower end extended beneath the same and havingits upper end formed into an operating-handle bent at an angle to thebody of the lever, a floating lever pivoted to the operating-1ever at apoint distant above the bracket member, said floating lever comprising asingle piece of metal formed above the pivot into an operating-handlebent at an angle to cross the handle of the operating-lever and havingits lower end curved and provided on its inner edge with teeth, astop-bolt carried by the bracket member in position to be engaged by theteeth on the floating lever, said lever adapted, as a whole, to be swungdownward to an unobstructing position at the side of the wagon-body, andmeans for sustaining the lever in such position.

3. In adevice of the class described, the combination with a bracketmember, of an operatinglever pivoted at one end thereof and provided onits pivotal axis with a ferrule, a stop formed at the other end of thebracket member, a floating lever pivoted to the operating-lever andprovided with teeth adapted to engage a stop-bolt carried by the bracketmember, said floating lever adapted, when the levers are moved to aninoperative position to engage the stop on the bracket member and torest between its ends upon the ferrule, whereby the levers will besustained in their inoperative position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnessesr WILLIAM N. SECORD.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM BONER, (J. L. MULLENNAX.

